Nationality Gene

This summer for the first time I started to like Switzerland again. My passport said all along that I am Swiss, but for the past few years, it was the last place that I wanted to move to. Now that I am finishing up university this little place in the middle of Europe is gaining appeal again. So I came to ask myself, is there such a thing as a nationality gene? Is nationality genetic, and once in a while some impulse of national belonging that never existed is sent out, and triggers a deep feeling of pride and wanting to move back to the place that was generous enough to issue me a passport, and even full access rights at any time in my life. So concluding I am seriously thinking of moving back to Switzerland, because there is so much paper work and struggle involved in staying here in the U.S. and getting everything sorted out. Will see what happens, but I am a true believer of the nationality gene!

Tribute to Fall

Fall must be my favorite Season, because it just is!! No here are some reasons why I like it so much:

• The weather is getting colder and have an excuse to stay in bed longer, since I don't really miss anything outside.
• The trees change their color, and those wonderful walks through crisp leaves start again.
• I actually have some motivation to sit inside and study for university (alright thats a lame one)
• I can look outside from my seat in the coffee shop. It is raining, and I am nice warm and cozy.
  

I am sure that there are many more reasons. What is your favorite season and why?

Meaning of Love, L.O.V.E, Luv U...

Love - an intense feeling of deep affection. But as it seems that this definition has pushed people to come up with new spellings for the love, as the true meaning of love might be too strong to describe all the affectionate connection a person has in their life. So new versions were created including Luv U, L.O.V.E, and probably many others. Yes, they are more convenient to write in text but they all carry the same meaning? Probably not. Yes, I love soy lattes, but do I really mean it that way. I think that the English language as it evolves just had to come up with words for love, that are less strong, because Love seems to be used in every context in daily life in English and the true meaning would be devalued if the real word would be used. So its sort of like a sports car that you only take out on the weekend when the weather is nice, Love only should come out when an intense feeling of deep affection is there.

Acqua di Parma - Blu

Bringing Italy into the convenience of my bathroom in the U.S. I came across these amazing scents during a shopping spree in Switzerland. Those fragrances and body products are made from all natural ingredients and were designed to bring the scent of Italy into the convenience of your home. Blu Mediterraneo comes in:

• Capri Orange
• Tuscan Cypress
• Sicilian Almond
• Amalfi Fig

I decided to go with Tuscan Cypress, and somehow this scent just works for me. Find it and give it a try.

Slack Lining

Hippie Sports – People are trying to get in touch with nature and the inner self again. Not that the trend of people engaging in bodily activities in nature is new (Tai Chi, Outdoor Yoga etc.), but there are some new “Hippie Sport” up and coming. Slack lining- an activity or sport I have never heard of crossed my path this summer in Ashland, OR. A two inch rope is spanned between two trees, leaving some slack and the walk on it. Sounds simple enough, and everybody probably has seen this artistry in the circus. Being curious I tried it, and it was much harder than I thought. People describe the experience of walking on the rope as being completely balanced and focused, and in order to obtain this ability anything else has to be blocked out from the mind. This is the true reward that people get from slack lining, which can nearly be seen as meditation on the rope. I must say that it gives a great sense of achievement once the balance is obtained and euphoric feelings bubble up inside. Important to all first-timers, always use a tree-saver to protect the bark of the tree. Because slack liners are tree huggers at heart.

I tried it myself and here is a little testimony of mine:

"It really felt great once I got a hang of it. It really requires a high amount of concentration and focus. Once I reached this point it felt really balanced. I would even compare it with meditation"

Pokemon Teens

There is a new style seeker around Europe, which my sister cleverly phrased- The Pokemon teens. It is a group of teenager that were strongly influenced by the popular Pokemon TV show, and now tailored their style after the main character Ash (www.pokemon.com). They always hang around in small groups. The distinguishing features of these new style seekers are the bleached mullet. Yes, the mullet just seem to celebrate one come back after another. Then the mullet is accentuated with a trucker hat a la Von Dutch. Further the Pokemon teen wears a tight t-shirt with some graphic illustration and pants that are too short, in order for the white socks to make an appearance. It is interesting that a TV character could shape the look of a large proportion of teens that have been exposed to such at an early age. This seems to be a mini- trend within the larger trend of Asianfication, and more and more products and styles from Asia becoming more popular among European style seekers.